The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-06
INDIANA sUFFRAGIsTS ABROAD.
How Two Hoosier Advocates of the Cause I'm
pressed Eastern Hearers.

From letter to the Journal concerning the
recent equal suffrage convention in Washington.
and written by woman in sympathy with the
movement, the following extracts are made:
Mrs. May Wright Sewall who, though one of
the youngest delegates, holds the important Of
fee of chairman of the executive committee, de-
lvered one of the best speeches of the conven-
ton. / wish / could report largely from it for
the benefit of her own city, but the chain of her
agument was sustained in a manner so absolutely
unbroken, that no scope was afforded to report
ers unless the speech were printed in full,
which. unfortunately. is impossible now, as the
address was extemporaneous Its logic was
unanswerable and full of philosophical thought.
and yet il was clear that the youngest per-
son in the vast audience that sat listening with
the profoundest attention could understand An
other thing, too which ls rather unusual
with extempore speakers, Lindlav Murray him
self could not have picked flaw in her grammar.
Her theme was 1.-THE Conditions of Liberty
and she took the ground that no individual can
be free till all are. She further urged the abso
lutte necessity to higher life, of sense of per-
sonal responsibility public spirit, patriotic feel
ing, pecuniary freedom, individual freedom, So
cial freedom, intellectual freedom, and showed
the relation between freedom thus far obtained
and political liberty.
But Mrs. Sewall shines an executive in her
committee. In the most trying situation she Is
unmoved. rendering her decisions with absolute
impartlaity, unbiased by either her own views
time according to established usage. This fact
is worthy of special note because women, with
their limited opportunities, are generally apt to
be somewhat supplementary, and how can
they be expected to be otherwise9 "Mrs
Zerelda G. Wallace's address was the feature
of the conventions" said the National Repub-
Gcan, ard it was, indeed, fine effort, or rather
lack of effort. for that grand woman, the pride
of her State, and honored with special honors
here, needed only to rise and open her mouth
and the words of wisdom poured forth in an
irresistible stream. Her subject was, will 1t
Pay the American Man to Enfranchise the
American Woman?" and in distinct clear
voice she gave her reasons for believing that it
would.
Every eye was fixed upon the mother Of the
author of Ben Hur," who is enough in herself,
if she had never been the mother of anybody,
for the glory OF such a woman can only be en-
BANGED by tine achievements of those connected
with her; it has already been created by Him
who fashioned her "a perfect woman, nobly
planned such as Wordsworth describes
The applause of her audience. at
some Of her brilliant passages was
frequent, and at times became ovation.
"We have overcome ridicule," said she, (which
is no argument but a powerful weapon, but we
have vet to overcome habit Woman is included
in the original grant, and she must be free before
you will be free yourselves. We are not yet a
republic. because the word man has not been
considered in generic sense, for one sex AFRO
gates tho word which means both. l have no
fight with the of this Nation they are
grand and noble. and good in proportion to their
development measuring with her hand low
and higher stature, with gesture signif-
icant to become irresistable) God found
| man incomplete, and furnished him with
a helpmeet, and the very first thing she did,
according to general belief was to cause him to
fall. But l think when Eve taught Adam the
difference between good and evil he fell up
instead of down. Women should follow Ewes
| example, and teach men to choose the good
instead Of the evil / want women to vote be-
| cause, if nothing else. they can antagonize the
saloon element and all other forms OF
legalized vice. Women are so in the habit OF
being mothers that even Susan B. Anthony is
the mother of all women, and I prophesy thai
tho next statue of Liberty will wear her face.